Marie-France Penet1,
Zhihang Chen1, Arvind P. Pathak1, Dmitri Artemov1,
Zaver M. Bhujwalla2
1JHU
ICMIC Program Division of Cancer Imaging Research The Russell H. Morgan
Department of Radiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine,
Baltimore, MD, United States; 2JHU ICMIC Program Division of
Cancer Imaging Research The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology, Johns
Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
Malignant ascites and metastatic spread of cancer are major causes of morbidity and mortality in prostate and ovarian cancer patients. Here we combined in vivo MRI and optical imaging to characterize the relationship between tumor vasculature, interstitial fluid transport, malignant ascites formation and metastases. We quantified the transport dynamics of the macromolecular contrast agent albumin-GdDTPA labeled with rhodamine in the tumor and in malignant ascites. Orthotopic, human prostate and ovarian tumor models, that frequently result in metastases and malignant ascites, are being used to better understand metastatic dissemination and malignant ascites formation and to develop new therapeutic strategies.